Beauty and the NotSo Beast
by crookedcath
Summary: "This is-this is bullshit. You're not a beast, you're freaking hot!" Obviously, some fairy tales just can't get their facts straight. NejiTen
1. The Wicked Bitch

Beauty and the Not-So Beastly

_By AmorDeliriousa_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or Beauty and the Beast

x-x-x-x

_Once upon a time, Uchiha Incorporated beat Hyuuga Corporations in a customer satisfaction poll, _

_much to the anger of Hyuuga Corps' current leader, Hyuuga Hiashi. _

"This is **UNACCEPTABLE**!" the fearless leader bellowed, slamming a stack of papers in front of the 21 year old boy.

Nearby, smirking obnoxiously, leaned his adolescent cousin. She clicked her tongue, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Ah ah ah, _someone's_ in some serious shit."

Hyuuga Neji glanced at his still immature cousin, tapping his fingers quietly on the arm of the chair before turning his attention back towards his uncle. If he wasn't in the presence of the Hyuuga Corps leader, that brat Hanabi would, to put it politely, be _eating_ some serious shit by his hands or some other's.

He smirked at the thought.

Big. Mistake. Hyuuga Hiashi swiveled on his foot, turning towards him with an angry point of his finger.

"Do you think this is funny? I don't see how this could have happened, we are friendly, we are loyal, we are _better_ than those red-eyed …con artists! Hanabi…I just… HANABI!"

With an efficient click of her heels, Hanabi placed herself in front of the table Neji sat at, placing her hands on either side of him with a smirk. He didn't make eye contact with her, instead opting to stare out the huge glass windows on the wall behind her. She rolled her eyes, taking one step to the left to block his line of vision.

"After weeks of studying this problem-o we've got on our hands this month, I've finally figured out what the problem is," she raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for him to take the bait.

They squared off, staring at each other, until finally he gave a small imperceptible shrug.

"What?"

"Uchiha Sasuke, the juicy heir to the Uchiha corporate throne, much like you," Neji almost shivered at her sexual tone when addressing him, her own cousin, "has looks _and_ the logical sense to use that sex appeal to his advantage. You, however, are an ice cube. A block. You could have half these clients in your bed, including the boys, by the end of the meetings and yet, you do not. So they give us bad reviews because you don't have the _decency_ to bat an eyelash, smirk a little, _offer to fuck them senseless._"

Hiashi made a disapproving noise from behind her.

She rolled her eyes again, standing tall and placing her hands on her hips. "So until you decide to learn how to woo—"

"Woo?"

"— a woman, or at least have basic freaking _manners_, you will be locked away in the Hyuuga penthouse, forever awaiting true love's kiss... or a fucking miracle, whichever comes first."

Neji stared at her in disbelief, turning towards his uncle. "You can't be serious about this."

No response.

"How is this going to help anything? This is a result of Hanabi, who should still be in middle school playing tag with boys and writing do you like me yes or no notes, watching Beauty and the Beast more times than should be legal in the past week. You can't expect me to go along with this to appease your ten year old."

Hanabi scoffed.

"First of all, I'm 17 dickhead. Secondly, every client that tries to flirt with you, you kick out of your office like an everyday asshole, not even a _rich_ asshole, just an asshole."

Neji scoffed back at her and her volatile language.

"Thirdly, your holier than thou attitude is getting old, it's rude. And condescending. At least Uchiha Sasuke has the common sense to _pretend_ the world isn't complete shit and that he doesn't completely hate his life. This is not so much in the hopes that you fall in love and she pulls the stick out of your ass, but that you learn some _manners_. And lastly, Beauty and the Beast is the fucking bomb and you need to get laid."

Neji's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I didn't even know you knew a word as long as condescending."

She laughed humorlessly, throwing him the keys to the Hyuuga penthouse. "Enjoy the solitude, asshole."

x-x-

_And so, the prince was made to be locked away forever awaiting true love's kiss _(Or some fucking manners).

_Many girls attempted to woo the Hyuuga heir, but all were turned away by his cold, cold heart._

**3 Months Later**

Humming, a chocolate brown haired girl clasped the handle of her suitcase as she rolled it across the lobby of the huge complex. She received the diamond studded key to the suite she was to share with the Hyuuga Corps heir, grinning the whole time.

This whole situation was way too surreal, it was ridiculously fortunate. Apparently, the Hyuuga Corporation had decided to try their own version of "Beauty and the Beast" in the hopes that it would soften the heart of it's heir.

The white-eyed girl who had introduced herself as "Hanabi" had said, "This guy is a total dick, like complete douche. You won't even believe. We need you to melt Antartica and hope that you find some semblance of a heart down at the end of that bottomless abyss he calls a soul. He's totally the beast in the movie, it's ridiculous. I don't get how girls could find that asshole attractive."

Apparently, in the past 3 months he had chased away more than his fair share of girls. Tenten had assumed it was his looks, because Hanabi had said that most girls ran at the sight of him. She braced herself for the oncoming confrontation. She wasn't shallow, though, and she most certainly wasn't a beauty.

Opening the door to the penthouse, she came face to face with a shirtless, towel-clad, _god._

She hadn't realized that the majority of the girls that "had ran at the sight of him" had ran _to him_.

Her mouth dropped open. This guy... he was gorgeous. His muscular abs were practically sculpted out of marble, angular features, silky hair, soft lavender eyes. She wondered if it was against the contract if she stripped off all of her clothes and screamed "TAKE ME!" right now.

"They're fucking _kidding _me," she gaped.

He turned fully towards her, raising an eyebrow in a _sexy, beautiful, _**perfect** way.

"Excuse me?"

The deep voice that called out to her practically melted her into a puddle onto the floor.

"This...This is _bullshit_. You're not a beast, you're freaking hot!" She groaned, dropping her stuff and resisting the urge to pull her hair out. "I knew this was too good to be true! This is some stupid prank show shit, oh ho ho let's tell some poor weapons store worker that she'll get thousands for "woo-ing" the Hyuuga heir, who the fuck says woo-ing anymore-that little shit! That white-eyed _shit_, she tricked me!"

He took a step towards her, not even attempting to hide the perfection that was his abs.

"Are you okay?"

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "NO I'm not okay! LOOK AT YOU! You're so sexy I feel my clothes disintegrating just at the sight of you! This isn't a funny joke, I need to find the Hyuuga heir. No, better yet, I need to _kill _that brat Hanabi."

She kept mumbling to herself, grabbing her suitcase. She turned around, though, shrugging. "You're...you're super hot, I mean, if you're into one night stands or something... you know.. call me."

She laughed to herself, muttering something along the lines of "so hot" before walking towards the door.

"Wait, I am the Hyuuga heir."

She stopped, turning slowly towards him with a huge smile spread wide across her face. "Really?"

She narrowed her eyes, as if contemplating. "Really."

He gave a small, curt nod.

She laughed, loud and melodic, gripping her stomach. "Oh, this is going to be so easy!"

He narrowed his eyes. "I am the Hyuuga heir, but you were going to go, so you may continue. The door is open."

Her smile disappeared, eyes narrowed. Asshole. Letting her luggage hit the floor with a loud 'thunk', she smirked. "Maybe not."

_The Fearless Princess Tenten decided that she would melt his heart of stone._

_And so began our story... of the Beauty and the Beast._

"Although I'm not sure which one I am, cause he's pretty freaking beautiful."_  
><em>

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**A/N:** This is just an idea of mine, let me know if you think I should continue it! Oh and if anyone knows of any great NejiTen stories, let me know that as well! I'm dieing for some good fiction(:


	2. Talking's Overrated

**A/n: **So, as you can see... from the update of a new chapter, that I ultimately decided to continue this story. I'm really nervous about putting out a second chapter because it's just as important as the first one in terms of possible disappointment from readers. Let me know what you think! Oh, and thank you so much to all those who reviewed! You guys are the gas (not insanely priced thankfully) that keeps my writing engine flowing. How cheesy am I? (:

-x-x-x-

Chapter 2: Talking's Overrated

_By Amordeliriousa_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or its sexy characters

x-x-x-x

_Now continues our tale of Beauty and the Beast..._

They were eating dinner when it happened. Although he resented her presence, her appearance, her language, her hairstyle, and basically everything about her-no, she wasn't kidding. He _resented_ her hairstyle.

_"What are you, five?"_

_She glanced up from the mirror to raise an eyebrow at the boy leaning in the doorway of her bathroom._

_"Excuse me?"_

_He stared at her blankly. With a shrug, he turned and walked out of the bathroom. She could hear his footsteps fading softly away as he made his way back to his room._

_"You look like a retarded fourth-grader" echoed throughout the halls as the soft click of his door shutting resounded back to her._

_She was just glad there were no witnesses to behold the assasination of her dignity._

Aside from his constant stream of verbal abuse, death glares, and tendency to make her feel inferior...they got along pretty well. They ate dinner in silence, they watched TV in silence, they basically lived two completely separate lives in the same household, of course, in silence. It was like living a normal, happy, silent life.

Except for the fact that he was never allowed to step outside the penthouse doors.

Oh, and most people living a normal, happy, albeit not silent, life didn't have house mates that were constantly trying to seduce them. Hanabi hadn't outright said that the way to win his heart was through his pants, but... okay, she had.

"Just do him, the man needs a good lay," the vulgar teenager had said.

And usually, Tenten would've qualified that as prostitution, seeing as she was getting paid and all, and her game plan had originally been to get to know him, help him realize not all people were ass bitches, and to get her cash..but then she had met him.

He was the reason one-night stands were invented. When he was born, society deemed it socially acceptable to have sex with someone and never see them again. He was _that_ hot. Melting his ice heart aside, she had immediately taken his beauty as a sign from God that she had done well with her life and was now receiving an award in the form of a 6'2' delectable boy. She easily wrote him off as a pompous jerk that didn't need her help anymore than she wanted to help him... but he was hot enough for her to push aside her opinions for one hot, steamy AMAZING night with him.

If only the son of a bitch would comply.

She sighed, thinking back to her many attempts over the course of the past two weeks. That Windex one was especially horrendous.

_"Neji!" She cried, in a shrill voice. Straightening out her french maid outfit, she smiled happily as she dusted away._

_When no reply came, she huffed, rolling her eyes. "NEJIIIIIII, HAVE YOU SEEN THE WINDEX?"_

_She paused, waiting for an answer. "In the cupboard."_

_Opening the cupboard, she grabbed the windex and quickly stashed it in the drawer. "I can't find it! Can you come help me look for it?"_

_She heard some quiet mutterings from the other room, but her smile only grew wider when she heard the familiar sound of his footsteps nearing her. When he appeared in the doorway, already starting towards the cupboard, she breathed a loud, overdramatic, and greatly exaggerated sigh of relief._

_He turned, raising an eyebrow._

_"OH, there it is! You're wearing Windex right? Cause I can see myself in your pants."_

_She stood there grinning and wagging her eyebrows suggestively as he stared, blinked, turned, shut the cupboard, and walked out of the room._

She considered this now as they ate their soup, side by side. Maybe he wasn't an arrogant spoiled rich kid after all? Maybe he had depth to him? Maybe his brain wasn't in his pants? She watched as clam chowder dribbled down his chin, two drops landing on the collar of his shirt, effectively staining it. He glared at the offending stain. She giggled. He looked around for a napkin, but none were in sight.

Tenten tried to hide her grin as she thought about the huge supply of napkins she had hidden under her bed in case something like this happened. She had been preparing herself for this moment, inhaling deeply she started.

With a tender brush of her finger, she wiped his chin. Leaving her hand cupping his chin, she smiled beautifully at him. Soft eyes, warm hands, and a gentle touch.

'Practically screaming let's get freaky,' she thought, smirking.

_Princess Tenten was positive that this was the moment that would change everything._

_It was time for their chemistry to spark, their eyes to connect,_

_it was time for Prince Neji's attentions to find their rightful place..._

He glared at her.

"_What_ are you doing?"

Tenten stilled, slowly retracting her hand and wiping her finger on a napkin that had seemingly popped out of nowhere. Neji glared at it.

"Well?"

She sighed like a misbehaved child, shoulders drooping as she scooted her chair away from the accusing stare of her house mate.

"I'm...flirting with you."

The silence in the air told her everything she needed to know.

Hyuuga Neji was not to be messed with, not to be flirted with... hell, you couldn't even fantasize about doing dirty things with him in the backseat of some random person's car. Because, Hyuuga Neji was a beast.

A cold-hearted, ripped, sexy _sexy_ beast.

Sighing, she put the spoon to her soup face down on her plate. Clasping her palms together, she scrutinized him from her place next to him. He pretended not to notice her, at first, instead opting to enjoy the silence and eat in peace.

He glanced up a few times to check if her steady gaze was still completely focused on him. When her wide, owl like eyes didn't stray from his face, the glances got more and more frequent.

Glance.

Stare.

He fidgeted slightly.

Glance.

Stare.

Clearing his throat, he continued to eat his soup.

"Pepper?"

Stare.

"I'll take that as a no."

Glance.

Stare.

Stare.

STARE.

He threw down his spoon, letting it clatter to the table.

"_What_, pray tell, do you _want_?"

"I have abs."

His forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What?"

She sucked in a breath, pushing her plate away in favor of glaring at him. "I have freaking ABS,Hyuuga Neji, ABS!"

This time, it was his turn to stare. She stood up, her chair clattering to the floor behind her. She put her hands on her hips in a very Hanabi-esque way as she glared at him.

"Well?"

He gave her the closest to confused expression he could muster, shook his head slightly, and cautiously kept his eyes trained on her. "I don't-"

"WELL!"

He studied the psychotic girl in front of him. Her chest was heaving, her ridiculous hair falling out of its ties, and her face flushed a deeper red than normal. He had a feeling he would have to choose his next words carefully.

"That's..."

She waited expectantly.

"...nice?"

That was when, Neji decided, all hell broke loose.

All he heard was "YOU ASEXUAL UNHORMONAL ROBOTIC _FREAK_" before she started throwing things, ranting about her abs, chest size, and "bomb ass fucking legs" if he remembered correctly. The next half hour passed in a blur as Neji slowly watched his penthouse turn into a pile of rubble around him.

When it was all over, he sat in the dining room chair, trying to contemplate what had just happened.

The grand piano creaked, disintegrating into a pile of sawdust somewhere behind him.

He blinked.

And then, in a very un-Hyuuga-like manner, Neji spoke:

"What. the. _fuck_?"

_The prince was not happy with the ...attack on his castle, but at the _

_arrival of the poor Princess' tears, the ever thoughtful prince surrendered._

He stood in her doorway, trying to decide whether to knock or to just walk in. When he heard yet another pair of quiet sniffles, he sighed, knocking with two sharp raps and then letting himself in.

She looked up, red eyes puffing up slightly and hands clutching a satin pillow. She was leaning against the headboard of her huge, royal bed. He just stared at her, uncertain on how to procede.

"I-"

"Come in," she scooted over, though it was completely unnecessary considering the massive size of the bed. She clutched her pillow tighter and Neji almost laughed at how childish she looked.

That is, if Hyuugas laughed anyway.

He cleared his throat, sliding in next to her. "I don't...quite understand what just..occured out there-"

She glared at him balefully. He cleared his throat again, repositioning himself on the bed.

"But I just wanted to...let you know...that I am sure your abdominal area is quite ...impressive."

He stood up quickly, dusting his pants off. "Well, that is all."

He started briskly for the door, but paused at the doorway, his hand on the knob, when he heard a small sound, as if Tenten had just cleared her throat. He turned slowly, eyebrow raised. She was biting her lip, suddenly seeming less like the psychotic hormonal entirely too sexual girl he'd been sharing a house with for the past two weeks.

"I'm sorry."

She was looking down, fiddling with the edge of her blanket. He couldn't help the surprised expression on his face, but it quickly disappeared only to be replaced with suspicion.

"For what?"

She sighed, looking up and meeting his eyes with fierce determination. He decided he liked that look on her.

"For relentlessly trying to get you in my bed. For trying to strip off your clothes that one day... for crawling into your bed that one night...and for slipping some sleeping pills into your drink in the hopes that it'd make you groggy enough to do me."

He almost choked on his own spit. "You did what?"

She rolled her eyes, pushing back her bed covers. "The point is, I'm sorry for trying to have sex with you without realizing you were an actual human being with actual feelings."

The proud, confident look came back into Hyuuga Neji's eyes. He smirked.

"You know, usually it isn't the girl saying those things to the boy. You sure you aren't the beast in this situation?"

She laughed, a melodic tinkling sound that made him want to laugh as well, before answering, "Oh shut up, you're so beautiful it almost hurts. I think I was the beast the second I walked through the door."

The smirk disappeared and Neji just stood there, hand on the door knob, watching Tenten as she lazily stretched, surrounded by silk sheets and expensive canopies. Her loose brown hair had been tugged out of its ties and her wide brown eyes were watching him curiously.

"I'd convince you otherwise but you seem confident in yourself enough," he said, never taking his eyes off her.

She laughed again before throwing herself back into the pillows, arms stretched out. She didn't look at him when she spoke, instead staring at the ceiling of her massive room.

"It's not confidence..it's the exact opposite actually. Like, maybe if I don't show my insecurities... they aren't there...I don't know. I'm rambling." She pushed herself up so she was leaning on one elbow, grinning straight at him. She patted the space next to her. "Come on, Hyuuga Neji, let's have a talk. I'll even promise I won't try to inappropriately touch you in any areas. My hands may slip, but hey, everyone makes mistakes."

She grinned at him in the hopes that it made her look less hormonal.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Talk?"

She nodded, smiling at him before laying back down as if she knew he'd come. "Yeah, talk. You know, conversation."

He smirked at her, eyes glinting though he knew she couldn't see. "Funny, I didn't realize you knew what the word "talk" meant in the presence of a bed."

Tenten rolled her eyes as she gave a sarcastic laugh. She closed her eyes, patting the space next to her again, feeling the bed shift as his weight laid down next to her. She didn't have to open her eyes to know he was staring at the ceiling too.

The silence that followed after wasn't uncomfortable, nor was it unlikeable. It was..peaceful. Well, to Neji. When he noticed Tenten fidgeting slightly, could feel her eyes glancing at him every two seconds, he sighed.

"Tenten?"

"Hmmm?"

"You owe me 4 million for all that shit you destroyed."

_And so the prince and the princess shared their first real conversation._

_The prince decided to permit Tenten's stay at the penthouse until he could find a way out_

_...and Tenten decided to permit Neji access to her bank account pin number._

_All seemed well in the Hyuuga penthouse, but how long could the prince and princess live together before the Hyuuga's ice heart decided to melt?_

_Or was it starting to already?_

"So he's not just a delicious, delectable sexy piece of man ass after all!"

x-x-x-x

**A/N: **I'm crossing my fingers that this gets good feedback! My nerves are all over the place. Let me know what you think! It's greatly greatly appreciated.


	3. Real Men Cry

**A/N:**I am sooo sorry for the slow update! I knew what I wanted to write for this chapter, but I've been kind of insecure about this story since the second chapter went up... how sad is that? :( I know where I want to go with this story, I know what I want to do with it, but I seriously don't believe that I can pull it off. We'll see I guess, won't we? Anyway, as always I am really really open to anyone suggesting some kick ass Nejiten stories, I found some good ones over the weekend that you can find in my favorites tab! Read&Review :)

x-x-x-x

**Chapter 3: **Real Men Cry

_by AmorDeliriousa_

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs solely to the K-Man

x-x-x-x

_The prince and princess grew to be quite familiar with one another_

_But still, problems arose between the two_

_Problems of the physical..._

Neji glared at the infuriating woman, though she couldn't see him, as she rummaged through the cupboard muttering something about "Ritz-bitz crackers" and "shinobi marathon." They talked more easily now and he had discovered that Tenten, when her raging hormones were in check, was probably the most bearable girl he had ever met.

She was attractive to say the least. Narrowing his eyes to almost slits, he bit into his sandwich almost violently.

"_Why_ are you dressed like that?"

"Hm?" She turned around, crackers in hand, and clad only in a tank-top and her lacy purple underwear. He forced himself to focus on her face, zeroeing in on her eyes and steadfastly ignoring her toned, tan legs and obvious curves.

She looked down, assessing her attire before staring back up at him with an eyebrow raised. "It's hot."

_Infuriating_ woman.

"There's an air conditioner."

She rolled her eyes, opening the refrigerator and grabbing a water bottle. "You know what your problem is Neji? You've been pampered all your life, it never hurt to save a little money!"

He placed his sandwich back on the paper plate in front of him, crinkling shut the bag of chips he had been eating out of. Drumming his fingers on the counter, he analyzed her critically.

"Do you know what society calls scantily-clad woman with money on their minds?"

She bit her lip as if to seriously consider it. He glared at her as she reached over the counter to take a swig of his coke. After she had decided that being friends was more acceptable than attempting to seduce him every ten seconds, she had become too comfortable with him. "No, what?"

"Prostitutes."

She choked on her coke, laughing and chortling as she clutched her stomach, doubling over with laughter...revealing an inappropriate amount of cleavage. His eyes found themselves drawn to her chest, but he immediately looked away. How indecent.

When she had finally gotten control of herself, she giggled once more. "Whatever Neji, I'm going to watch Shinobi, they're having a seasons one to five marathon all week! Come join me once you pull that stick out of your ass, Ja!"

She waved, which he thought was ridiculous since she was just going into the other room, and he exhaled slowly once he heard the click of the tv being turned on.

When he turned around she was already religiously eating her row of Ritz Bitz crackers and swigging water. He could see what looked like twelve year olds attacking each other. Odd, she had called the show shinobi. Did that not mean ninja? How could twelve year olds be ninja?

He was momentarily distracted as she jumped up, cheering as one particular character came onto the screen. He scowled as he stared at her scantily dressed form and went around the counter to make himself a snack for the marathon.

It had been only a week ago that they had laid in bed together, staring at the ceiling and talking as if they had known each other longer than they really had. He didn't understand what had made him readily give so much information to a person he barely knew. Maybe when said person had attempted to get into your pants more times than you could count, it merited some kind of comfortableness.

Comfortableness.

_That _was the problem.

He had been amused last week when Tenten had sprung up from bed and demanded that they pinky promise each other that they'd get to know each other like normal people instead of sex-crazed young adults.

He scoffed, reaching for a carton of ice cream. As far as he was concerned, she had been the only one acting like a sex-crazed _teenager. _If he were a lesser man, he probably would have given into her childish if not tempting antics.

But psychotic girls ready to rip off their clothes after just looking at him didn't really appeal to him. Though it should boost his confidence, he merely regarded it as a problem. It made dealing with business awkward.

The biggest thing that irked him was that, Tenten, seemed to be getting _too _comfortable with him after resolving to herself that they would not be sleeping together anytime soon.

She had started...undressing herself in front of him more often.

He hadn't really noticed at first. It had started with her buns, the childish hairstyle falling freely most days when she woke up. He just turned away whenever the wavy brown tresses caught his attention.

But then she had started walking around in shorts and a t-shirt constantly. He didn't care, he had other things to attend to, even when her toned legs flexed as she reached for certain items in the kitchen.

But then she had deemed it acceptable to walk around without pants on. When she walked into the kitchen and he immediately pushed away from the table, she had worriedly asked if something was wrong. He turned away from her, eating his cereal quietly and keeping his eyes off of her.

She had taken that as an okay to talk about her highschool years and how her nickname had been "Buns."

He fought the urge to decide for himself whether they were talking about her hair or her...curvaceous body.

Frustrated, he had hoped that she would gain sense and dress herself more properly, but no. She had stumbled into the kitchen as he was just beginning to eat his sandwich with nothing more than a tank top and a _lace_ pair of panties.

He wouldn't have minded if her state of undress hadn't been affecting him in his sleep.

Growling slightly, he spooned out ice cream into a bowl he retrieved from the cupboard. Hyuuga Neji was _not_ sulking. He repeated this to himself as he rubbed at his eyes, feeling the tired bags underneath which he knew were starting to stand out against his pale skin.

What was he, in high school? He hadn't had dreams like...those since his adolescent years. Damn girl and her damn clueless...ness.

"Neji, hurry up! It's starting!"

He paused, turning slowly to stare at the half dressed girl lounging across his couch excitedly singing along to the theme song of the ridiculous show she was watching.

"We are fighting dreamers, yeah!" She jumped up, hands raised triumphantly and jumping up and down. His eyes zeroed in on her, for lack of better words, tight-tight ass.

Crumpling up his napkin, he stood, eyes narrowed.

He pulled his shirt over his head, "Hn, two can play at that game."

x-x-x-x

When Neji finally settled himself into the couch next to her, she had rolled her eyes, extending the row of ritz bitz crackers out to him.

"Finall-"

Her mouth dropped open.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

She just stared at his chiseled chest, the obvious definition in his abdomen, the toned muscular arms, and his overall lean, beautiful, _hypnotic_ body.

"Why...why are you...dressed...like that?"

He glanced sideways at her, grabbing a handful of crackers.

"It's hot."

Her eyes followed a piece of cracker that fell from his hand and bounced down his body. He picked it up from it's resting place on his abs and popped it back into his mouth.

Why yes, yes it was.

x-x-x-x

_...and problems of the emotional_

Hyuuga Neji was, to say the least, extremely satisfied. Not only was Tenten shooting him looks every five seconds, but she had even unconsciously started to gather pillows around her body, placing them strategetically to cover her more exposed parts in what he supposed was supposed to be a nonchalant way. Even the show she had sat him down to watch all day had turned out to be extremely entertaining.

The character, Eiji, was fighting with Paruto, this annoying blonde boy who wanted to one day become "hokage" of the village.

"How does he think he can win against Eiji? He's a one trick wonder, unless he can clone himself up an escape plan which I highly _doubt_," Neji shoved a cracker into his mouth.

It was infuriating, Eiji was obviously stronger in abilities and strategy, who did this Paruto kid think he was?

Tenten sniffed. "Shut up Neji! It's getting to the good part."

He glanced over at her. Why was she crying anyway?

_"The curse represents a mark of the bird in a cage… It is… the symbol of being tied down to an inescapable destiny." _

Neji's jaw dropped. Was that...was that a brand on his forehead? For...for life?

Eiji glared at Paruto, _"There's no method but death to escape this horrible curse." _

"They...brand the members of their clan?" Neji turned towards Tenten for confirmation. Her eyes were watery and she nodded, whimpering slightly.

Neji's eyes narrowed.

"But they can't do that," he stated, turning towards Tenten. "That's illegal."

Wasn't that against some kind of civic rights? Didn't they have laws in that god forsaken _Hidden_ village? Did they keep it_ hidden_ because of all the illegal _shit_ that went down behind those lengthy forests?

Neji turned back to the screen and glared at the face of Eiji's uncle. How dare the man sit in the stands like he didn't ruin that boy's life.

"This show's immoral," he muttered, shoving some more crackers in his mouth.

Neji ignored the goosebumps that rose on his skin as Paruto knocked Eiji to the ground, proclaiming that he'd change the rules for him.

It must be chilly in the room or something, Neji decided as he rubbed at the shivers on his skin.

"Should put some clothes on or something?"

He also ignored the heat building in his eyes as Hiashi dropped to his knees begging for forgiveness. He rubbed irritatedly as his eyes ceased to quit the water building up in them.

"I should give the maid a call, there's obviously too much dust in the room."

Eiji forgave his uncle, telling him to stand up.

Neji pressed his lips into a firm line.

He would not cry.

_"Father, I have but one goal, I want to become stronger- Enough not to lose to anyone…"_

Pressure started to build in his eyes, as his vision blurred.

_"Father, the birds are flying freely today… They look so happy." _

Neji gripped the pillow harder. God, it was so immoral. It was awful, horrible, he almost couldn't bear it.

Tenten almost laughed at the concentrated expression on the Hyuuga's face as he willed himself not to cry. The ending song started to play and Tenten suppressed a snort as Neji pressed his lips tighter together.

"I think we're done for today, yeah? I mean the sun is starting to set and-"

He glared at her, misty eyes and all.

"Next episode."

x-x-x-x

God it was so wrong. It was just. So. Wrong.

How could they continue on knowing they were going to leave their comrade to die like that? With bullshit promises like "Make sure you catch up" and "We'll be waiting for you." _Sure_, he'll catch up. Right. Fighting a guy twenty times older than him, and stronger, and wiser. It was ridiculous, it was immoral, it just wasn't _fair_.

Neji sniffed quietly, willing himself to maintain his composture.

When Pyuuga Eiji had left his team with a _"Pasuke's out there right now, heading toward Korochimaru. We can't allow such evil to take someone from our village… that is not our way," _Neji had been determined that Eiji would fight his way out.

Now, though, with an arrow through his heart and a still very live enemy, Neji was not so sure.

He couldn't understand this emotional connection to this character, but with each blow dealt to the young boy Neji found his vision becoming more and more unclear.

_"Even if my enemy is far stronger-"_

He clutched the pillow tighter.

_"-even if my body should fail me,-"_

That damn air conditioner was killing him.

_"-I cannot lose,-"_

Neji squeezed tighter.

_"- there is a reason I cannot lose." _

His eyes glistened.

_"I have always been called a genius; and I cannot lose, for the sake of those who believe I'm a genius!"_

With a breath of relief, he exhaled. He had made it through without a tear. Tossing the pillow aside, he dusted off the small amount of tears that had gathered in his eyes. It was just a cartoon after all, but then...the unthinkable happened.

_"Because Paruto… you saved me from the darkness." _

Hearing an almost inaudible gasp, Tenten wiped the tears in her eyes, sighing. She glanced over at Neji and almost slapped herself in amazement. He was staring at the television screen, eyes obviously shocked and arms hanging loosely at his side. His shoulders were slumped and he looked, well, like a depressed little boy.

"Um, Neji-"

"Does he die?"

Tenten blinked. Neji's eyes hadn't taken themselves off of the television screen, he hadn't moved from his position, he didn't even seem coherent at the moment.

"Neji, I don't thi-"

"Does. He. _Die_?"

She could've said no. She could've ended his misery, she swore she could have. She could have let him know that everything was going to be okay, that Eiji would live, and grow up to be the only jounin in his rookie class...

But Neji, with his misty eyes, and crestfallen face was just so...

"Cute..."

His head snapped in her direction and he gave her the most offending stare he could have, as if he was in disbelief.

"What...?"

He looked so miserable. She really should just tell him that Eiji would live...

"Yes...he, uh, yes...he dies."

She could have sworn she saw Neji's lip quiver.

He turned away from her, straightening the pillows in what she supposed was supposed to be a nonchalant manner.

"I-well then," he discreetly rubbed at his eyes and when Tenten heard a small sniff, her heart almost melted.

How could a grown ass man make crying look so..._cute_?

Slowly, she scooted over towards him. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and patted his shoulder. "There, there. It's...okay."

What happened next was probably the most shocking moment of Tenten's adult life.

Hyuuga Neji...whimpered.

Tenten's eyes softened, and she had to stop herself from letting out an "awwww!" at the sight of the broken Hyuuga boy. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him towards her, allowing him to bury his face into her neck.

He mumbled something, which Tenten couldn't hear properly, but she was sure it was along the lines of "It's just a damn _cartoon_."

x-x-x-x

Twenty minutes, four glasses of hot chocolate, and three boxes of Ritz Bitz crackers later, Neji and Tenten were laying head to head on the couch.

Tenten chewed a cracker thoughtfully and Neji contemplated the ceiling.

"Twelve years old is too young to die," Neji commented as if he were making some sort of observation.

She nodded, reaching for another cracker.

"My dad died when I was four."

She froze.

"He was on his way to the Hyuuga corps meeting and someone shot him thinking he was my uncle. It was an Uchiha...but then the entire executive board of that company was murdered by some other company..so I don't really hold any grudges. It's sad, though, how far people will go for money."

Rolling over, she laid her head on her crossed arms, observing the boy laying in front of her. His hands were under his head and he was staring at the ceiling. He didn't look sad, so an "I'm sorry" didn't seem like the appropriate thing to say.

Biting her lip, she thought. "My brother died when I was seven."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"He was my best friend, but I know he'd be happy that I've moved on with my life."

Neji didn't answer for awhile.

"I'm not sure what my dad would think of me. I was too young to know him that well."

She laid her head down, staring at the table next to them.

"Wanna know a secret?"

He rolled over, as well. Crossing his arms, and resting his head on them. She turned back towards him so they were face to face. He raised an eyebrow.

"I think your dad would have been proud of who you grew up to be," she smiled and her eyes turned to liquid honey, pressing her forehead against his.

"Really?"

"Really."

He stared at her, wavy brown hair slightly tousled and warm honey eyes determined and appreciative. She really was beautiful, even if she didn't realize it yet. Tilting his head slightly, he pressed his lips softly against her cheek.

"Thank you."

_In one day, the unknown Beauty and the not-so beastly Beast found themselves_

_conquering problems of the emotional _and_ the physical_...

_learning a little bit about themselves on the way._

x-x-x-x

**A/N:** I don't think anyone realizes how much fun I had writing this chapter, I hope Neji wasn't OOC! I just thought it'd be hilarious because whenever I introduce people to Naruto, they cry like Baby back bitches. I hope you caught on that they were watching Naruto... I mean, I made it sort of obvious... Anyway, read and review please! I'll try to get the next chapter out considerably faster, promise! By the way, has anyone seem Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny? I swear, I lose weight from crying so much: Athrun Zala, you my BABY3


	4. One Point for the Man Whore

**A/N: **This took awhile because I just didn't know what I wanted to do with this story, where I wanted to go with it... but I've decided! So the chapters should be coming out faster and the plot will be developing. There's going to be a lot more similarities to the Disney movie. I'm so excited(: This chapter you get to meet...dun dun dun... GASTON! Or my version of him.

x-x-x-x

**Chapter 4: One Point for the Man Whore**

_by Amordeliriousa_

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto's sexy ass

x-x-x-x

_Just when the princess and the beast seemed to be making progress,_

_the inevitable occurred._

"I mean we locked that mother fucker up in the first place for his socially retarded people skills, didn't we?"

x-x-x-x

Tenten tiptoed to the kitchen, glancing tentatively down the hallway and feeling her way along the walls. It was raining softly outside and she almost sighed in relief when she made it safely to the kitchen, frowning as her stomach grumbled.

Usually, the lights in the condo would be on all night and noises of life could be heard from both her room, Neji's room, and/or the kitchen. Hell, with no school, no work, and no _nothing_, they usually stayed up all night and woke up late. Well, Tenten woke up late. Neji just always seemed to be awake.

But after his...kiss, things had gotten so _awkward_. She swore she had blushed ten million shades and they had both jumped up from the couch, proclaiming it was getting late and they should probably get to sleep.

But then she had gotten so damned _hungry_.

Grabbing the ingredients for a kick ass peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Tenten immediately set to work. It was raining outside and she almost felt like it was a sign that Neji's kiss would trigger feelings that would eventually lead to her impending doom.

It wasn't that she didn't _like_ rain per say, it was just that she associated rain with psychotic axe killers, long-haired asian girls who sang childhood songs in voices that could only be described as _creepy as fuck_ , and leprechauns that told you they wanted gold but took much _much_ more.

Her mom used to tell her not to trust anything under 4'7', which made for awkward small talk when faced with a natural born midget.

But then again, her mom used to whisper "gingers have no souls!" in her sleep, so maybe she wasn't the best judge of character.

Poor, poor mother.

Cutting her PB&J, she grabbed a juice box and made her way back towards her room.

And that's when it happened.

_**BOOM**_

She almost shit her pants.

Tenten disliked it when it sprinkled, but she could deal with it. She hated it when it rained, but that's what umbrellas were for. But thunder...thunder scared her shitless.

Clutching her sandwich, she glanced out the window and saw the flash of lightning, which meant-

_**BOOM**_

"Oh god," she whispered, goosebumps on her arms.

As much as she hated to admit it...

she needed Neji.|

x-x-x-x

"Neji," she whispered through the crack in his door, pushing it open slightly.

She peered into the room, taking into account his lean figure underneath the comforter in his modest bed. She wondered why his bed made hers look it had steroids slipped into its milk, but quickly pushed the thought aside.

"Neji," she whispered, slightly louder this time. "Are you sleeping?"

She almost jumped when he responded with a loud, "Yes" that suggested he was anything but.

She glared at him, obviously not convinced. "Doesn't sound like you're sleeping..."

He sat up and through the darkness, she could easily make out his slightly narrowed bright moon-like eyes.

Sometimes she forgot how good-looking he really was, I mean, yeah you noticed the hotness factor. That shit hit you like a ton of bricks. But, moments like these made her notice just how..elegant and ...regal he looked.

"Well, how could I when you tiptoe like a drunken elephant and your whispers sound like a deaf person speaking for the first time?"

And then he talked, and she was reminded of how elegant and regal he wasn't. She prepared to scold him, possibly insulting him with something along the lines of "you prick-head asshole bitch of a shit face" when the loud resounding boom of thunder striking sent her straight for his bed.

Only to find that it was...wet.

Jumping up, she screeched. "_What_ the hell were you doing? You disgusting-"

"Tenten."

"How _old_ are you? I didn't know anyone past the age of _thirteen_ still-"

"Tenten."

"I mean _keep it in your __**pants**_ mmmfghhh!"

His hand was placed securely over the blubbering hole that she referred to as her mouth, his eyes locked hard on her face, steadfastly ignoring the glare she was sending him.

"It's rain, Tenten. Calm down." He slowly tilted her head up and down so it looked like she was nodding. "I'm going to let go of my hand now, but you aren't going to speak unless what you say would be appropriate to say in front of children, okay?"

Tentatively, he removed his hand.

She stared behind him, as if just noticing the huge window next to his bed that just happened to be open, allowing torrents of rain drops to fly in and lightly drench his bed and for that matter, him.

He was hot wet.

"...peace offering?" She offered, weakly, holding the sandwich up.

He raised an eyebrow at the diagonally cut peanut butter and jelly, slowly reaching out and awkwardly grabbing a half.

"I've never had one of these," he muttered, more to himself than to her.

She gasped.

"Did you have abusive pare-" She quickly clamped her mouth shut when she remembered the mentioning of his dead father earlier that day...

Probbly not the best comment she could make.

"So... why's the window open anyway?"

"I...," he glanced at her almost uncertainly. "The rain is very..melodic. It soothes me. Kind of like a sonnet or...just the nature aspect of it is very...comforting."

When she didn't say anything, he continued. "If you just close your eyes and take a breath, and just... _listen_, it's one of the most surprising things when suddenly it seems peaceful and right."

"You know...you're pretty deep when you want to be," she mused, watching the rain drops land on her outstretched palm.

She had expected him to scoff, to tell her to get out of the room, but instead he seemed to think over her statement.

"I'm...," he stared out the window and for the first time, Tenten saw Hyuuga Neji become flustered.

She offered him the rest of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which he took in an almost amused manner. Munching on it softly, she almost laughed at how innocent the usually stoic Hyuuga looked. "You're what?"

He finished the sandwich, reaching out to catch a droplet. Staring at it, he clenched his palm into a fist and met her eyes with annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"I'm not usually this open."

Raising an eyebrow, she grabbed one of his pillows and hugged it, settling herself into his bed-the dry side, of course, and looking up at him. "Elaborate."

She thought she heard him sigh, and this Neji she saw, the one desperately searching for words, face contemplative and slightly frustrated- he looked more like a real person than anyone she had seen up until this point.

Her eyes softened, wondering what the hell he could have ever been through to be this naturally guarded.

"I mean, this ...person, that lets others sleep in his bed because they have a ridiculously immature fear of thunder-"

"Hey!"

"-and ...tears up over a children's _television show_. He...is not me."

She stared at him seriously for a moment, studying his features, tapping her fingers lightly on her cheek.

He prepared himself for the insightful, psychological advice she would offer.

She opened her mouth and he braced himself.

"You cried like a baby back bitch actually."

He snorted, muttering something along the lines of "shut the fuck up."

"But seriously Neji, that's what I'm here for isn't it? I'm going to help you! We'll do this together. You'll be back in your big leather chair looking down upon the city in no time."

Neji studied her and Tenten thought she'd pass out from the lights shining in his eyes, every different shadow and emotion she saw was both enchanting and confusing. She felt mesmerized.

Neji gave a small nod and Tenten's smile brightened.

Sinking into the pillows, she sighed happily. She focused on the warm body next to her, allowing his presence to calm her down as the loud explosions of thunder and the soft pattering of rain transformed themselves into a calming, beautiful melody.

Just like he said they would.

"Neji?" she called, sleepily and half-slurred.

"Hm?"

"The rain really is beautiful."

Finding his hand, she slipped hers through it and gave it a soft squeeze. His fingers clasped around hers tightly and she smiled, eyes closed, and breath slowly evening out.

"Tell me a story."

Neji considered this, ignoring the warmth radiating off of the body next to him. Her hands were small and slender and he smirked at the dwarf-like girl fighting to stay awake beside him. It was adorable, really.

"Once, when I first started out at the Hyuuga corporations, I was eating lunch in the cafeteria there, and my uncle's secretary slid into the seat across from me. She was young, wore too much perfume and she always forgot to button up the top four buttons on her blouse, but she had never done anything to me. She asked me if my muffin was buttered, and when I said no, she started giggling uncontrollably. She asked me if I wanted her to butter my muffin, so I said sure thinking she knew of a special jam that I didn't know about, but the next day when I walked into my office she was sitting on my desk completely naked. I was horrified, and she was immediately fired on the terms of sexual harrassment. I still have no idea what that was about."

With a snort, a giggle, and a murmured "socially retarded", Tenten fell asleep.

_The princess was the most knowledgable in the land when it came to buttered muffins_

_and the Beast knew much about rain._

_But did either of them know anything about love?_

x-x-x-x

_Just when things had started to look up,_

_disaster struck the prince and princess._

"_Um, Hyuuga-san, there is a visitor here for you. I've sent him up," _the voice coming from the static of the intercom sounded nervous, but he was too bewildered at the thought of a visitor. None of his cousins had informed him of an upcoming visit...

"Did he or she leave a name?" He asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"_Ah...well," _the voice became even more nervous, which furthered his suspicions. _"He said he's from a corporation-"_

There was no way that that man whore would come up to visit him. It had to be some kind of fluke, maybe a representative from Hyuuga Inc?

But what could they-

"_Uch-youuchee-"_

"Uchiha Sasuke," Neji hissed, slamming his fist against the wall. "How dare that damnable, insufferable, manipulative bastard-"

"Actually, that -ahem- as you say, bastard... is a little too busy running his, oh I don't know multi million dollar corporation for the likes of you, but don't fret princess, Inuzuka Kiba is here," the brown haired boy was grinning as he strolled through the door, grabbing an apple off of the counter top and taking a decisive bite. "Pumped up and ready to make your already pathetic excuse of a life decidedly more miserable than ever before!"

Neji narrowed his eyes at the intruder, glancing towards his room door and willing Tenten to stay inside. "Careful, I can have you neutered dog boy."

He should have seen this visit coming, he knew it would. Uchiha Sasuke just could not resist the temptation of kicking Neji when he was down, all because of some immature grudge against him over some girl he had known in high school. She had had pink hair. Pink. Did that arrogant brat really think Hyuuga Neji would take interest in the likes of a pink haired girl? Pft, ridiculous.

But nonetheless, here was the idiotic Inuzuka boy, gloating. Probably ready to deliver some ego deflating message from the head ass himself. How far had Neji fallen? That Uchiha Sasuke could get to him? He was locked up in this miserable pent house because of what? Customer satisfaction polls?

He would never be lower than he was at this moment.

Kiba made a face. "God, what's that smell?"

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, right," Kiba threw his hands up. "It's the smell of complete and utter failure and my God, it's coming from you."

Within seconds, Neji had tackled the younger boy and sent him colliding hard with the refrigerator. Using his arm to press roughly against his victim's adam's apple, Neji whispered venomously one word.

"Neutered."

Kiba glared. "You and your ridiculously silky hair that can only be described as homosexual with your steroid ass pectorals and strange affinity for big words I don't understand mean nothing. You don't scare me Hyuuga, Sasuke's got you and your company pinned down to something even lower than the nothing you are."

With a hard shove, Neji crossed his arms and watched Kiba coolly. "Is that so?"

"AND I DID NOT PAY FA PING KHANG TWENTY DOLLARS TO SQUEEZE HIS MAN BOOBS!"

The silence in the room was deafening. Neji opened and closed his mouth a few times, but was ultimately at a loss as to what to say. Kiba coughed loudly, clearing his throat and straightening up his jacket.

Smoothing out his hair, he cleared his throat one last time. "I'm sorry about that, lost my cool there for a second. This is a professional meeting and I shouldn't have brought highschool into this. My apologies."

Neji just continued to stare.

"What? You don't remember me?"

Kiba shot him a look of disbelief when Neji's blank stare continued.

"You and your little friends spread the rumor that I had leprosy and had to be home schooled even though I showed up at school every day?"

Slight amusement but still no response.

"Come on dude, your friend Lee told me I smelled like flowering lotus blossoms mixed with cow manure from the heavens above to create an explosion of senses?"

"He does that to many people."

"The entire school called me dog shit sniffer for two years. Even the teachers."

"...that's unfortunate."

Kiba stared in disbelief, muttering a small 'you've got to be kidding me' before shrugging, putting his hands up. "It's cool man, that's all in the past."

Neji gave a small, curt nod. "Well? What're you doing here?"

And just like that the somber, melancholy mood of Inuzuka Kiba transformed into the obnoxious, completely idiotic overbearing attitude he had adopted when he first walked in.

"Right, well, my boss, the ever cool, ever suave, Uchiha Sasuke has sent me to well, laugh, mock, and derail you," Kiba looked up from the piece of paper he was reading off of, grinning.

Narrowing his eyes, Neji snatched the piece of paper from the boy's hands, muttering 'fucking ridiculous' under his breath.

**Written on the official paper of the Uchiha Corporations**

_Hyuuga Neji must be laughed at, mocked, and derailed-_

_preferably with witty comments attacking his hair, his company, and his obviously_

_inferior muscle tone._

_Do well to constantly remind him of his obvious failure in all things_

_regarding life itself._

_And upon exiting, this line must be read in a mocking, conclusive, and confident tone:_

"Obviously, Hyuuga Incorporated will fall because instead of paying proper

attention to the company, their leaders are too busy trying to buy the silkiest

shampoo bottle and fall in love."

_Emphasize on the underlined words._

_Be sure to do this well, dog shit sniffer, or I will be forced to let you go._

**Uchiha Sasuke**

Neji glared at the confident signature of Uchiha Sasuke, crumpling the paper inside his fist and debating whether or not it would be a law suit should he decide to force Inuzuka Kiba to eat it. Studying the width of the dog lover's mouth, he decided against it, tossing it against the wall instead.

"What's going on guys?" Tenten chose this moment to appear, sleepy and disheveled.

Kiba stared at her, eyes widening. "Oh ho ho! This is priceless! Tenten? Tenten?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Sup dog shit."

He glared at her, but quickly recovered. "Oh man this is another thing you lose out on Hyuuga, she's Sasuke's last girlfriend. Oh, and I bet his rippling muscles have tapped that and tapped it hard."

Pausing, Kiba walked over to smooth out the piece of paper on the floor. Scanning over it, he made some kind of excited gesture before turning seriously towards Neji.

"Obviously, Hyuuga Incorporated will fall because instead of paying proper attention to the company, their leaders are too busy trying to buy the silkiest shampoo bottle and _fall in love_."

With those words, delivered in a perfectly mocking, conclusive, and confident tone, Inuzuka Kiba walked out whispering an excited "emphasize on the underlined words!"

Neji glared after him.

"Neji, what's wrong?"

She walked towards him, her voice worried. He turned around, advancing on her, frustration and anger practically radiating off of him.

"Don't you see? This is pointless! I'm wasting my time. I shouldn't be here trying to develop mundane social skills or trying to cultivate a romance that would be a complete waste of energy, I need to be with my company, improving it, bankrupting that infuriating Uchiha company."

"Neji-"

"I am packing my bags and I am leaving. You will allow me to go and you will inform the security currently standing outside my doors that should they try to stop me, I will take them down. One by fucking one. Am I clear?"

Mutely, she nodded.

_And so all progress seemed to be wasted..._

_what was the princess to do?_

x-x-x-x

**A/N:** How do you guys like my Gaston? :D In the next chapter, I'll be introducing what is to be the "rose" in the movie, as well as Tenten's father. Excited? I am too! I had way too much fun writing that buttered muffin story. LOL, let's all hope you guys have seen Mean Girls. Best quotable movie, _ever_. Reviews keep me writing, so please review! Always welcome to kick ass Nejiten suggestions!


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